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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

Educational Value

Dead Rising 3 wasn't created with educational intent, and we don't recommend it for learning.

Positive Messages

The game focuses heavily on combat -- and the violence is very graphic -- so even though you're attacking the undead and finding survivors, this isn't a very good message at all.

Positive Role Models & Representations

You play as a mechanic named Nick Ramos. Nick seems like a good guy who is unhappy to be in this situation, but, because he kills so many thousands of zombies (and, sometimes, nonzombies), he is not a good role model.

Ease of Play

There are some control issues with this game, including the requirement to stand exactly on top of an object to pick it up, which can be annoying. There is a tutorial, but the controls and camera are sometimes finicky.

Violence

Dead Rising 3 has a lot of bloody violence and gore. You can take a number of weapons to zombies -- including chainsaws, flamethrowers, rifles, bombs, and weaponized vehicles -- and you'll see plenty of body parts and blood throughout this game. Enemies can become dismembered and decapitated.

Sex

Although there isn't any nudity, Dead Rising 3 often has women dressed in provocative outfits that show ample cleavage and curves. You can enter a XXX sex shop and use sexual-pleasure objects to kill enemies (seriously). One boss fight includes a weapon that resembles a vibrator. Another scene has a woman caress her own breasts.

Language

The game has a lot of profanity strewn throughout the dialogue sequences, including strong adult words such as "f--k," "s--t," and "a--hole."

Consumerism

The game does offer some DLC (downloadable content) via in-game purchase, plus there are special versions of the game where you can pay more to get access to special items.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Nick, the main character, can consume alcoholic beverages -- beer, wine, and liquor -- as an energy boost. But if he consumes too much, he might stagger and then vomit.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Dead Rising 3 is a very graphic action game with horror elements (zombies jumping out at you), lots of gore (including disembowelment and decapitation), and plenty of blood. There are sexual references and innuendoes, alcohol consumption, and strong profanity. It is an M-rated game that earns its designation.

What's it about?

Developed exclusively by Capcom Vancouver for Xbox One, DEAD RISING 3 is similar to its best-selling predecessors: you’re tasked with staying alive during a deadly zombie outbreak by using anything and everything you find in the environment as a weapon. This includes familiar standbys such as guns, katanas, and chainsaws -- but also golf clubs, cinder blocks, and exploding teddy bears. You'll find blueprints that allow you to craft all-new weapons, such as the combination of a vacuum cleaner and saw blades to suck in zombies and then chop them to pieces. Yes, you read that correctly.

Is it any good?

Like a good B-movie, this third-person adventure never takes itself too seriously. Despite some technical issues, it's quite fun -- but for mature players only. For one, vehicles have been added to this sequel, allowing you to get around and use them to mow down a few hundred zombies in your path. You also can make weaponized vehicles by combining them with deadly objects. Flamethrowers on the front of a truck? Why not? A motorcycle with a steamroller? Sure. Blades taped to a forklift? Go for it. Also, more so than in past Dead Rising games you have the freedom to go anywhere in this huge world. This is where vehicles come in handy, as you make your way across bridges, tunnels, and sprawling freeways to other parts of the city. You can follow your on-screen marker that shows where your next goal is or build up experience points by fighting, exploring new areas, and finding blueprints, safe houses, weapons, food, wearable items, and other collectible goodies.

Although it's fun and has various solo and multiplayer game modes, it would be remiss not to mention the assorted glitches, ranging from inconsistent frame rates and a less-than-stellar camera to some sloppy controls, be it some lag when you jump or having to stand exactly on top of an object to pick it up. It doesn't detract from the fun too much, but there still should be a downloadable update (a patch) to fix some of these issues. Gory and silly at the same time, Dead Rising 3 is a ridiculously fun sandbox game that's not for the faint of heart.

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